COPYRIGHT NOTICE
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever. 37 CFR 1.71(d).
FIELD
At least some embodiments disclosed herein relate, in general, to insulation of buildings and more specifically to hanging hardware for sheets of insulation.
SUMMARY
The present invention comprises device and method embodiments directed to providing insulation onto the exterior face of a building, and is especially relevant to devices and methods of buildings comprising construction types that apply abutting sheets of insulation to an exterior face of a portion of a structure, either before or after successively further exterior embellishment or other augmentation further outward from the structure.
According to an aspect, a sheet retainment clip device for improving retaining of a first insulation sheet and a second insulation sheet to a building comprising an elongate mounting rail between the sheet and sheet, the device comprising a first wing configured to contact and compressingly engage the first sheet; a second wing configured to contact and compressingly engage the second sheet; and a rail engaging section between the first wing and second wing, wherein the rail engaging section is configured to contact the rail between the first insulation sheet and second sheet of insulation, but at a distance away from the building and without penetrating the insulation sheets, such that the contact of the first wing with the first sheet induces a first moment about the rail engaging section and the contact of the second wing with the second sheet induces a second moment about the rail engaging section, opposite the first moment, such that the first moment and second moment fixedly secures the rail engaging section to the rail, and retains the sheets of insulation to the building.
According to a further aspect, a method of retaining a first sheet of insulation and a second sheet of insulation to a building on opposite sides of a rail on the building, comprising: Contacting the first sheet with a first wing extending in a proximal direction from a rail engaging section; Contacting the second sheet with a second wing extending in a distal direction from a rail engaging section; Compressingly engaging the first sheet toward the building with the first wing, to induce a first moment about the rail engaging section; Compressingly engaging the second sheet toward the building with the second wing, to induce a second moment about the rail engaging section; and Contacting the rail between the first insulation sheet and second sheet of insulation with the rail engaging section, to fixedly secure the rail engaging section to the rail, such that the sheets of insulation are retained to the building.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The embodiments are illustrated by way of example and not limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements.
FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment of an insulation sheet retainment clip device for a building comprising an elongate mounting rail between two adjacent sheets of insulation, contacting the sheets of insulation in accordance with the present disclosure.
FIG. 2 shows an exemplary embodiment of an insulation sheet retainment clip device for a building comprising an elongate mounting rail between two adjacent sheets of insulation, compressing the sheets of insulation in accordance with the present disclosure.
FIG. 3 shows an exemplary embodiment of an insulation sheet retainment clip device for a building comprising an elongate mounting rail between two adjacent sheets of insulation, contacting the rail in accordance with the present disclosure.
FIG. 4 shows an exemplary embodiment of an insulation sheet retainment clip device for a building comprising an elongate mounting rail between two adjacent sheets of insulation, fixedly located to the rail and retaining the sheets of insulation to the building, in accordance with the present disclosure.
FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8 show several exemplary embodiments of insulation sheet retainment clip devices for a building comprising alternative types of elongate mounting rails for extending between two adjacent sheets of insulation, showing the clips fixedly located to the respective rails, in the abstract from sheets of insulation to be held against the building, in accordance with the present disclosure.
FIG. 9 shows an exemplary embodiment of an insulation sheet retainment clip device for a building comprising an elongate mounting rail between two adjacent sheets of insulation, where the rail has an upper channel section, and showing the clip fixedly located to the rail, in the abstract from sheets of insulation to be held against the building, in accordance with the present disclosure.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
The following description and drawings are illustrative and are not to be construed as limiting. Numerous specific details are described to provide a thorough understanding. However, in certain instances, well known or conventional details are not described in order to avoid obscuring the description. References to one or an embodiment in the present disclosure are not necessarily references to the same embodiment; and, such references mean at least one.
Reference in this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. The appearances of the phrase “in one embodiment” in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Moreover, various features are described which may be exhibited by some embodiments and not by others. Similarly, various requirements are described which may be requirements for some embodiments but not other embodiments.
Referring now to FIG. 1, what is shown is an exemplary embodiment of an insulation sheet retainment clip device 1 for a building 9 comprising an elongate mounting rail 11 between two adjacent sheets 13, 15 of insulation. Through FIGS. 1-4, it is shown how the similar embodiments of the clip device 1 are provided to improve retaining of the insulation sheets to the building 9.
Specifically with respect to FIG. 1, there is a sheet retainment clip device 1 shown in mere contact with a first insulation sheet 13 and a second insulation sheet 15, with respect to a building 9 comprising an elongate mounting rail 11 between the sheet 13 and sheet 15. The clip device 1 comprises a first wing 3 configured to contact (here, FIG. 1) and compressingly engage (see FIGS. 2 and 4) the first sheet 13, a second wing 5 configured to contact (here, FIG. 1) and compressingly engage (see FIGS. 2-4) the second sheet 15; and a rail engaging section 7 between the first wing 3 and second wing 5.
The rail engaging section 7 is configured to contact the rail 11 that is between the first insulation sheet 13 and second sheet of insulation 15, but at a distance away from the building 9 and without penetrating the insulation sheets 13 and 15, such that the contact of the first wing 3 with the first sheet 13 induces a first moment 19 about the rail engaging section 7 and the contact of the second wing 5 with the second sheet 15 induces a second moment 21 about the rail engaging section 7, opposite the first moment 19, such that the first moment 19 and second moment 21 fixedly secures the rail engaging section 7 to the rail 11, and retains the sheets of insulation 13, 15 to the building 9. See FIG. 4 for a depiction of the clip device 1 in this arrangement.
Referring now to FIG. 2, what is shown is an exemplary embodiment of an insulation sheet retainment clip device 1 for a building 9 comprising an elongate mounting rail 11 between two adjacent sheets 13, 15 of insulation, compressing the sheets 13, 15 of insulation in accordance with the present disclosure. Specifically, the embodiment of an insulation sheet retainment clip device 1 shown here is similar to the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, but the wings 3 and 5 are being used to hold the sheets 13, 15 toward the building 9. The wings 3 and 5 are shown under only marginal deflection, but the compression of the sheets 13, 15 indicates they impose a reaction force (small arrows), and countered by the imposed holding force (larger arrow), the wings 3 and 5 are rendered into cantilever members about the rail engaging section 7.
Referring now to FIG. 3, what is shown is an exemplary embodiment of an insulation sheet retainment clip device 1 for a building 9, comprising an elongate mounting rail 11 between two adjacent sheets 13, 15 of insulation, contacting the rail 11 in accordance with the present disclosure. Specifically, here, the device 1 is shown under a sliding compression (large arrow) and arranged laterally offset to an upper planar portion 24 of the rail 11.
The shape of the rail engaging section 7 comprises a depending tab portion and a bending resilience portion 32, defining a rail introduction channel 29 therebetween. Under this compression and arrangement, a rail capturing prong 31 depending from the rail engaging section 7, proximate the first wing 3, forcefully encounters the top of the planar portion 24 (small upward arrow), while the leading edge 25 forcefully resists lateral contact (small horizontal arrow) with the tab/lip defining the rail introduction channel 29. The offset of these forces from the site of application of force to the rail engaging section 7 imposes a pair of bending moments that deflect a bending resilience portion 32 between the rail capturing prong 31 and where the tab/lip depends from the rail engaging section 7. As a result, the rail engaging section 7 flexes to allow the planar portion 24 to enter the rail introduction channel 29, and the entire clip device 1 can begin to translate laterally, with the tab/lip passing between the second sheet 15 and the planar portion 24.
The contemplated invention includes embodiments of having a bending resilience portion 32 between the introduction channel 29 and the rail capturing prong 31 that is configured to alternately pliantly deflect during insertion of the leading edge 25 and pliantly reform upon capture of the trailing edge 27.
Depending upon the relative proportions of the device 1 and/or the length of the wings 3, 5 and thickness of the sheets 13, 15, the moments imposed by contact of the wings 3, 5 with the sheets 13, 15 may be increased or decreased, relative to the initial imposition of compressive contact (see FIG. 2). Here, the second wing 5 is in some degree of compressive contact (small arrow at the second wing's 5 point of contact/ridge 23) with the second sheet 15, and the cantilever moment 21 is still present.
Referring now to FIG. 4, what is shown is an exemplary embodiment of an insulation sheet retainment clip device 1 for a building 9, comprising an elongate mounting rail 11 between two adjacent sheets 13, 15 of insulation, fixedly located to the rail 11 and retaining the sheets 13, 15 of insulation to the building 9.
Specifically, as introduced earlier, (with respect to FIG. 1), for the embodiment of the clip device 1 shown here in FIG. 4, the rail engaging section 7 is configured to contact the rail 11 between the first insulation sheet 13 and second sheet of insulation 15, but at a distance away from the building 9 and without penetrating the insulation sheets 13 and 15, such that the contact of the first wing 3 with the first sheet 13 induces a first moment 19 about the rail engaging section 7 and the contact of the second wing 5 with the second sheet 15 induces a second moment 21 about the rail engaging section 7, opposite the first moment 19, such that the first moment 19 and second moment 21 fixedly secures the rail engaging section 7 to the rail 11, and retains the sheets of insulation 13, 15 to the building 9.
On review of FIGS. 1-4, we can observe an exemplary method embodiment of the present invention: a method of retaining a first sheet 13 of insulation and a second sheet 15 of insulation to a building 9 on opposite sides of a rail 11 on the building 9, comprising: Contacting the first sheet 13 with a first wing 3 extending in a proximal direction from a rail engaging section 7 (FIGS. 1-4); Contacting the second sheet 15 with a second wing 5 extending in a distal direction from a rail engaging section 7 (FIGS. 1-4); Compressingly engaging the first sheet 13 toward the building 9 with the first wing 3, to induce a first moment 19 about the rail engaging section 7 (FIG. 2); Compressingly engaging the second sheet 15 toward the building with the second wing 5, to induce a second moment 21 about the rail engaging section 7 (FIGS. 2 and 3); and Contacting the rail 11 between the first insulation sheet 13 and second sheet of insulation 15 with the rail engaging section 7, to fixedly secure the rail engaging section 7 to the rail 11 (FIG. 4), such that the sheets of insulation 13, 15 are retained to the building 9.
Further more narrowly, FIGS. 3 and 4 further support the following exemplary method, though it should be considered nonlimiting upon a broader reading of the preceding paragraph, otherwise: the rail 11 comprises an upper planar portion 24 having a leading edge 25 and a trailing edge 27, the method further comprising: Inserting the leading edge 25 of the planar portion 24 with a rail introduction channel 29 proximate the rail engaging section 7 (FIG. 3); Slidingly receiving the planar portion 24 with respect to the rail engaging section 7 (FIG. 3), and Capturing the trailing edge 27 of the planar portion 24 with a rail capturing prong 31 (FIG. 4), such that the rail engaging section 7 is fixedly located to the planar portion 24 (FIG. 4).
Note that, specifically to FIGS. 1-4, the device 1 is shown in an embodiment wherein the first wing 3, second wing 5, and rail engaging section 7 are materially contiguous and made of a material that is heat-bridging-resistant, with respect to the rail 11. Also note that, in each of FIGS. 1-4, the first wing 3 and second wing 5 each comprise a stress concentration contact ridge 23 for stiffening the particular wing (3, 5) with respect to its respective site of contact with at least one of the first sheet 13 and second sheet 15, respectively. This is a variation contemplated but not required for both or either of the wings 3, 5 for the broadest understanding of the invention, and is not necessarily required to be symmetric across the device 1. The present invention contemplates embodiments also, in which the wings 3, 5 are symmetric about the rail engaging section 7.
Referring now to FIGS. 5, 6, 7, and 8, what are shown are several exemplary embodiments of insulation sheet retainment clip devices 1 for a building 9 comprising alternative types of elongate mounting rails 11 for extending between two adjacent sheets of insulation (not shown), showing the clips 1 fixedly located to the respective rails 11, in the abstract from sheets of insulation (13, 15, see FIGS. 1-4), to be held against the building 9, in accordance with the present disclosure. Similar to the clips 1 that appear in FIGS. 1-4, each of these embodiments of their respectively depicted clip devices 1 comprise a first wing 3, a second wing 5, a rail engaging section 7, and ridges 23.
Specifically, FIG. 5 shows a clip device 1 similar to that of FIGS. 1-4, however it is adapted for use with a rail 11 presently known in the art as an “Armatherm GIRT.”
Specifically, FIG. 6 shows a clip device 1 similar to that of FIGS. 1-4, however it is adapted for use with a rail 11 presently known in the art as an “Nvelope T GIRT.”
Specifically, FIG. 7 shows, shows a clip device 1 similar to that of FIGS. 1-4, however it is adapted for use with a rail 11 presently known in the art as an “AES 16 GA GIRT.”
Specifically, FIG. 8 shows a clip device 1 similar to that of FIGS. 1-4, however it is adapted for use with a rail 11 presently known in the art as an “Nvelope L GIRT.”
Referring now to FIG. 9, what is shown is an exemplary embodiment of an insulation sheet retainment clip device 1 for a building 9 comprising an elongate mounting rail 11 between two adjacent sheets of insulation (not shown), where the rail 11 has an upper channel section 33, and showing the clip 1 fixedly located to the rail 11, in the abstract from sheets of insulation to be held against the building 9, in accordance with the present disclosure.
Specifically, the clip device 1 is configured for a rail 11 of an insulation system comprising a rail 11 with a channel section 33 having a leading side 35 and a trailing side 37 opposed to the leading side 35, wherein the rail engaging section 7 is characterized by a rail introduction flange 39 and a rail capturing prong 31. The rail introduction flange 39 is configured to contact and capture the leading side 35, and the rail capturing prong 31 is configured to capture the trailing side 37 of the channel section 33, such that contact and capture of the leading side 35 and capture of the trailing side 37 fixedly locates the rail engaging section 7 to the channel section 33. Though not depicted, the clip device 1 here is contemplated to be deformed under force in order to become fixedly applied to the rail 11, in a manner similar to that shown in FIGS. 3-4 for that particular embodiment.
Further, it is contemplated that for this embodiment of the clip device 1 shown in FIG. 9, the rail engaging section 7 comprises a bending resilience portion 32 between the rail introduction flange 39 and the rail capturing prong 31 that is configured to alternately pliantly deflect during contact and capture of the leading side 35 and pliantly reform upon capture of the trailing side 37.
In the foregoing specification, the disclosure has been described with reference to specific exemplary embodiments thereof. It will be evident that various modifications may be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope as set forth in the following claims. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative sense rather than a restrictive sense.
Patent Application
20240287813
